Apple & Cinnamon
by Sechskies
Summary: Gray/Lucy. Drabble series — Of ice and keys, and snippets of their moments that will never be told. / 06: The dam is breaking, and all she can do is pray. Following a botched mission, Lucy is forced to deal with the terrible aftermath.
1. the physics of touch

_Here's my little tribute to Valentine's Day! I know it's not much, but I'm still proud that I'm able to write something THIS short. I apologize for the lameness though. :))_

_Taking the summary into account, this will be the first of the (hopefully) many drabbles and one-shots I'll be writing about "Gray, Lucy, and everything in between" set waaay after "**Denial, Denial**" and "**Chaos Theory**". I know I'm kind of jumping around with my stories, but some irrelevant plot bunnies are just too annoying to ignore, you know? Besides, this will serve as a great break and breather at times when I'm feeling stuck with my ongoing fics... like right now.  
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_I've decided to mark this as "complete", because while this anthology aims to flow into a single story, each chapter is still technically independent from the other.  
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_**Standard disclaimers apply.  
>Rated T to be safe.<strong>_

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><strong>

**Apple & Cinnamon  
>By: Sechskies<strong>

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**one. **

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"You're never gonna feel the touch of a woman."

Gray raises an eyebrow, looking mildly amused, but very much unfazed by Natsu's rare display of — dare he say it? — _intellect_. "Yes, I will." he merely says, voice deadpan.

"Seriously, man! Objects never actually touch," the Dragon Slayer persists. "All you feel is the energy transfer. It's the physics of touch, I tell ya!" Smirking like he knows a secret_, _he slides closer to the idle teenager, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "That means, you and Lucy will never ever come in contact with each other."

For a moment, Gray remains unresponsive, but his stiff posture tells Natsu that his words struck a chord. With wicked amusement, he watches as a small tic then begins to appear on his rival's forehead.

Oh, he got him, alright. He's been itching for a good ol' brawl the whole day (the dark guild they've just annihilated for their mission was too darn easy for his _superior magic _to handle), and what better way to provoke the bastard stripper than _her_?

Genius.

"...Goddammit, Natsu."

"What?" he counters, grinning cheekily. The way the ice mage grits his teeth in barely suppressed anger almost makes him want to clap his hands like an excited demon-child. Gray really got it bad for that weirdo, doesn't he? Ah, whatever. One more push, and he'll finally have the means to ease his boredom. "You mad, Droopy Eyes? It's an intriguing scientific fact, y'know—"

"I know!" the half-naked alchemist all but yells out. "Just... Just—!"

"Just what?"

And to his complete and utter bewilderment, the raging fire enshrouding Gray fizzles out as quickly as it appeared.

"Just... goddammit." he says at last, and with a defeated sigh, proceeds to walk ahead of the cherry-haired Salamander.

Natsu gawks at his retreating back as he drags his feet to trail after the rest of their team, taking notice of his hunched posture and sluggish footwork. The gloomy air around the ice mage is practically visible from where he's standing, and despite himself, he snickers.

He may not have gotten the brawl he wants, but this — _this_ is way better.

"Man, what a pansy."

Yup, he's not so bored anymore.

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_We are all fools in love._

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**owari.**

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**History:  
><strong>02.14.12 ~ First published. Hooray for V-day~!

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_Who knew Gray can be so pathetically sensitive when it comes to his love life? Only Natsu. And maybe Happy. Ooooor, I dunno, just about everyone except for the "love life" herself? _

_And now, because I'm feeling smart (for once), I shall provide you a non-simplified version of Natsu's speech about his so-called "physics of touch":_

Everything in this world is made of atoms of different elements. Humans are mostly carbon, while water is made of hydrogen and oxygen. Those atoms are then broken down into protons, neutrons, and electrons, with the electrons orbiting around the nucleus, which is made of the protons and neutrons. Electrons are negative, while protons are positive and neutrons are neutral. If two atoms come close together, their electrons repel each other, because negative charges repel other negative charges. Many atoms form bonds with one another to make molecules and compounds, but there is still a slight distance between the two attached atoms. Thus, if everything is made of atoms, which have these electrons, objects cannot technically touch one another, because in theory, there's still a minute amount of space between them.

_I figured Natsu would still be too much of a moron to get all that. xD_

_Sooooo... Anyone wanna review? :3 _

_I'm also open for prompts and requests! A word, a short summary, a line you want said, whatever. Just keep the following conditions in mind when requesting:_

1.)_ The main pairing will always be Gray x Lucy. It's an anthology of their blossoming romance, after all.  
><em>2.)_ No rushing! By now, you must know how much of a slow writer I am.  
><em>3.)_ I still have the liberty to choose which prompt I'm gonna write about._

_Have at it, loves!  
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	2. chicken soup for idiots

_First off, thank you for the warm reviews you've given to this baby. I honestly didn't expect that you lovelies would receive this so positively. It makes me so giddy and happy inside, so thank you! =) On the other hand, I apologize for my lack of response to the reviews you've given me recently. It's not that I don't appreciate them, because I very much DO, but I'm just so incredibly busy right now. Adulthood sucks BIG TIME. T_T"  
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_Now, as for this story, the prompts were provided by **imjuzakyd too lazy to log in** (sickness) and** Strawberry Orihime** (rain, spoon-feeding). I've never imagined how Gray would act when he's sick (Does he even get sick, being an ice mage and all?), so consider this piece as my personal take on it. I hope you like it~ :3  
><em>

_**Standard disclaimers apply.  
>Rated T to be safe.<strong>_

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><strong>

**Apple & Cinnamon  
>By: Sechskies<strong>

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**two. **

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Lucy balances a tray in her hands as she pads toward her bed, where one can find a certain Gray Fullbuster sprawled almost lifelessly, curled into a ball with several layers of blankets cocooning him. She frowns as her gaze lingers to the ice mage, who has suddenly emerged on her doorstep just a few minutes ago, wet all over, still half-naked, cheeks flushed and eyes droopier than usual.

He fainted then and there.

Of course, she panicked at first (Did he get injured from a fight somewhere? Was he sleepwalking? Did Juvia make him drink another weird potion? Is he dying? Or, or, or—! Has Erza gone into another homicidal rampage? Where's Natsu? Maybe she got to him first!), but after learning that he didn't have any physical injuries, she struggled to pull him up and dragged him inside, away from the freezing rain. When she had touched him, that was when she knew that he was burning with fever.

—which brought her to her current situation.

She lets a sigh escape her lips as she places the tray on a nearby table. Settling herself on the edge of the bed, she proceeds to poke the sick ice alchemist. "Gray?" she voices out meekly. "Wake up, sleepyhead..."

She pokes him once, twice, thrice... only to get no response. Exhaling, she adjusts herself in her seat, and starts to shake his shoulders — gently at first, but her action gradually becomes harsher after a few seconds that Gray still showed no signs of stirring.

Thankfully, before Lucy drifts into a more desperate attempt of waking the ice mage, the latter grunts in reply.

"Gray?" she whispers once more, absently staring at the young man's flushed face that is messily framed by his raven tresses.

In all their years as teammates, this is her first time to see him in such a helpless and miserable state. Since when did he ever get sick? Being an ice mage, she's always thought he'd have the strongest resistance to anything remotely cold, so being sick because of today's weather couldn't be the reason, could it? And Juvia's potions are out of the question as well; the bluenette is away on a three-day job with Lisanna, after all...

Suddenly, realization dawns on her face, and she spares another worried glance at her teammate, before exhaling heavily.

_That_ could be it. Knowing Gray, there's no other reason.

"Gray..." she starts again. "Hey, I made some chicken soup. "

"Hn," is all she got as a response as the lad flips on his stomach, clutching the blanket tightly around him.

"But you need to!" she insists, exasperated. Why did he go to her place again?

"Nooooo..." Gray moans rather childishly, his voice muffled by the pillow on his face.

The blonde feels like ripping her hair off. No matter how much she slightly—_SLIGHTLY!_—likes the bastard (Oh, who is she kidding?), and how cute he is when he's curled up like this, he's making things difficult for her — and she's not about to have that when she herself just wants to lie down and sleep in her _own_ bed after a long, tiring day of cleaning her whole apartment!

"Graaaaaaay..." she whimpers, almost desperately. She watches as the black-haired youth dozes off once more, deliberately ignoring her pleas, and feels herself just _snap_. "Who told you to have another drinking contest with Cana anyway? You know what large amounts of alcohol do to you, dummy!"

Fortunately, as unusual as it is, her outburst got Gray to look at her quite blankly for a moment, as though she was a bratty kid who's just thrown a temper tantrum. And then, he sits up ever so slowly, the blanket slipping off his shoulders to reveal the muscled chest underneath (to which the blonde would normally find herself gawking at, but she's too pissed right now to care), and a scowl on his reddened face that so looks like a pout at his fevered state.

Lucy thinks that now is the best moment to shove a spoonful of soup down Gray's throat as she places one in front of his face.

He grimaces for a split second, but complies nevertheless.

"Stupid, competitive dolt..."

"It wasn't... me. Natsu was... He was being a—"

"Shut up and eat your soup, Gray!"

"...Guh. Y-yes, Ma'am..."

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_I can always take care of myself.  
>But still, I want to meet the person,<br>Who can prove to me that I can't._

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**owari.**

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**History:  
><strong>02.24.12 ~ First published.  
>04.23.12 ~ Edited a few words.<p>

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_Natsu was being a...? Well, I'll leave it to your imagination~ _

_Gray's condition is inspired by my boyfriend, who — instead, of getting the usual headache or hangover — gets the flu whenever he'd drink loads of alcohol. I have no idea how or why that happens; it just does. He's weird that way. :P_

_On another note, an old time online friend of mine, **Sailor Siopao**, recently IM'd me and expressed her curiosity about the title. If you must know, "**Apple & Cinnamon**" was taken from one of Utada Hikaru's songs. It's ironic that the song is about a couple falling out of love, but the first few lines of the chorus were just adorable, and I think it suited how Gray and Lucy were back in "**Denial, Denial**", and later on, "**Chaos Theory**":_

Started out so simple and innocent  
>So simple and innocent, so simple and innocent, so simple and innocent<br>Chemistry like apple and cinnamon  
>Like apple and cinnamon, like apple and cinnamon, like apple and cinnamon<p>

_Anyway, if you have any more prompts or plot bunnies for me to consider, feel free to include them in your reviews (You ARE going to review, right?). **Mind your manners though, and ask nicely.** I don't take well to bossy and demanding people. ^^  
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	3. ever watchful

_Frankly speaking, I'm starting to hate Fairy Tail's recent manga chapters. An instant power-up to the Tenrou group — no training (just partying) like the rest? A 2nd FT group in the tournament? Gray getting badly pawned? An out-of-the-blue Urano Metria-summoning reminiscent of how Naruto prepares his Rasengan? I can go on and on, but the fact remains that FT seems to be going downhill since the 7-year time skip. And truth be told, I'm kind of losing interest already. *le sigh* _

_**Standard disclaimers apply.  
>Rated T to be safe.<strong>_

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><strong>

**Apple & Cinnamon  
>By: Sechskies<strong>

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**three. **

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"Is this something that _all_ grown-ups do, Gray-niichan?"

The young man in question stiffens lightly, and it is only after a few heartbeats that he dares to respond.

"What do you mean?" he starts, then winces at his tone. He meant for it to sound impassive, not... defensive! Inwardly cursing, he inches his gaze to his charge, a pained grimace on his face. So much for being the _cool _older brother.

Romeo almost laughs at Gray's expression, but stops himself just in time. This simple question was asked in pure curiosity; it is practically harmless, he mentally defends, yet for some reason, the ice mage appears discomfited.

After a long moment of awkward silence, Gray turns and begins making his way back to their campsite.

Romeo scrambles to follow him. "Ah, h-hey, Gray-niichan! You don't have to go! I didn't mean to interrupt what you're doing so—!"

The black-haired youth chooses not to answer, and merely quickens his pace. His shoulders are stiff, hands balled into shaking fists as he continues trekking, and the younger mage figures, with growing amusement, that his teammate probably hadn't appreciated being caught in the act. He stifles another rush of snigger.

"Ya know, when I saw you watching Lucy-nee playing with Happy and that trembling white spirit-thing just now—" There is a low growl, but Romeo deliberately ignores it. "—it reminded me of somebody _else_—a close friend, actually—who has the same habit of watching a _certain_ someone—another close friend—and even though it's as clear as day that this somebody likes that certain someone, he or _she_ wouldn't do or say anything about it, and it just made me wonder because I can never understand adults these days!" he finishes, shaking his head. "Heck, even Happy's been yapping endlessly about it. And Lisanna-nee, she—"

"Romeo," Gray's baritone voice cuts through his words like a knife, and Romeo simply stares after him curiously, waiting for him to continue. There is another brief pause, then a noise that sounds very much like a long-suffering sigh, before the alchemist finally faces him.

"The idiot's dilemma shouldn't be your business nor mine," he tells him. His expression is neutral, almost bored (as always), but the crease on his brow confirms his annoyance. "Let him do whatever the hell he wants — watch Lisanna and pin for her from a distance. It's not our problem anymore if he's such a pussy."

Romeo's mouth twitches at this. "By 'idiot', you mean Natsu-niichan, right?" he asks, to which the older boy just snorts. This act seems to be the last straw for the young fire wizard, and he grins toothily at him.

"Who says anything about Natsu-niichan?" he comments laughingly, leading Gray to look at him bemusedly. "I was talking about Lucy-nee herself watching _you_."

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—_And I still get the butterflies, even though I've seen you a hundred times before._

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**owari.**

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**History:  
><strong>03.08.12 ~ First published.

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_Yes, I like making fun of Gray. I want to write him as looking cool in every situation except when it concerns Lucy. Harhar._

_Review and drop some love, if you're up for it. Please and thanks! =)_


	4. how to breathe

_You know what? I'm not even sorry this came out late. I've been busy as hell these past few weeks, and FT's beginning to really suck these days that it's been hard getting all inspired and pumped up to write. :( Yes, I greatly enjoyed the unexpected GrayLu moment back in chapter 275, but it's such a tease! I want more, a$dasf#lfdk%l! *_*_

_On a lighter note though, I appreciate all the reviews and support you've given me for my stories. Thank you, really. :) As always, I apologize for not always replying, but my schedule right now only allows me to upload a new chapter, insert an author's note, post it for viewing, then log out. It sucks, right? I barely even have the time to write! D: I promise I'll do better soon, so please don't think I'm ignoring you. _

_Anyway, I made this chapter much longer than my past drabbles as a way of apologizing for my recent inactivity. Got the prompt from **Moogle Lady** and _**imjuzakyd too lazy to log in**_ (again), so if you happen to like this one, you can thank them for putting my mind to work. xD_

_**Standard disclaimers apply.  
>Rated T to be safe.<strong>_

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.**  
><strong>

**Apple & Cinnamon  
>By: Sechskies<strong>

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**four. **

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_o_**1**.

She spots him in the midst of blood and bruises, obsidian orbs unwavering, body poised to strike the foe running toward him — which he does shortly. The attacker was either courageous or stupid to think he could land even one hit on a fighter of his caliber, and he instantly falls to a heap on the ground the moment his jaw connects with her teammate's fist, eyes rolled to the back of his head, mouth foaming. She smiles at this (_He's so strong!_), then goes back to her own business (_I won't lose!_), and while she dispatches the enemies on her side, the black-haired youth does a perfectly executed roundhouse kick to finish off three more brutes simultaneously, followed by a crackling elbow jab to another one's abdomen, an evasive jump, a quick intake of breath, and a dangerous glint in his eyes before he lunges at his last adversary.

There is an agonized cry, and she turns just in time to see the hulking figure of his opponent tumbling lifelessly with a loud thud, writhing in pain like the other bodies scattered around him. Instantly, she feels a surge of pride and love (_always, always, always __love_) for the victor. _He's so, so dreamy!_, she thinks, swooning; he didn't even need to use his ice magic to beat them all to a pulp.

Too engrossed she is with his glorious sight that she barely acknowledges her own enemy's attack. She's not worried though, being _what _she is. Sure enough, his dagger passes through, and she allows herself a brief moment to savor the flabbergasted look on the man's face before returning fire.

_It's my turn!_

Exhilaration and excitement, she feels. Prickly, prickly electricity runs through her veins as she releases her magic, nimble movements allowing her to finish her fight in a matter of seconds. Her ice alchemist companion may be impressively powerful, but she can be just as strong if she wants to.

_Can you see me?_

Recomposing herself, she throws a surreptitious glance at his direction to see if he is looking—

"Nice one, Juvia!"

And he _is_.

The sky and the ground instantly meet somewhere in between, and the usual endorphins from the adrenaline rush of her fight earlier pale in comparison to the way her stomach stirs and her heart soars just from the half-smirk and thumbs-up he gives her.

(_Butterflies, butterflies, butterflies_.)

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_o_**2**.

She's at it again, the love rival.

Talking to him with that skimpy outfit, and that sun-kissed hair, and that pissed off scowl on her face as she throws his discarded clothes back to him, berating him for his carelessness. Natsu and Happy are sitting with them, apparently enjoying the way the two sort of bicker, while Erza remains cool in her spot, nodding at whatever the love rival is practically screeching out.

From afar, she watches them silently, almost dazedly, and wonders what's the big deal about her Gray-sama stripping. Is it really that bad? (_It isn't. It SO isn't!) _She thinks it's wrong that he is being chastised like that, and the love rival is just being a drama queen (as always), because he's been doing that _forever, _so shouldn't she get used to his unusual habits by now?

More than that though, she finds it strange that everyone in their merry band of five can act so much like big jerks to one another when it's so very obvious how incredibly close they are. They can't fool people's eyes, much less hers.

And as Gray smirks, Lucy gasps, Erza twitches, Natsu cackles, and Happy cheers, she watches some more, wishing with all her heart and soul that she can be just as close to her beloved someday.

(_Someday. Definitely someday._)

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_o_**3**.

She finds him walking in the crowded street, and in reflex, jumps behind a lamp post. Old stalking habits die hard, she supposes, but it's too late to be doing anything else — he's coming this way, carrying a grocery bag with one hand and the other supporting little Asuka, who is currently sitting on his shoulders.

_Oh, too cute! Too CUTE!_, she inwardly raves, and it takes her almost her whole strength not to faint at such an adorable picture. She thinks, forever more, that her beloved is going to be a great father to _their_children in the near, near, near future, but her little bubble of wedding bells and baby cribs pops the instant a familiar blondie appears behind him, and she's sure she would have mindlessly lunged at her rival had the famous duo of Salamander and Exceed not followed shortly after, much to her _utmost_ relief.

They're laughing, she notes, looking too immersed with their group discussion that they didn't even take notice of her as they pass by her lamp post (she may be hiding, but she _still_ wants to be acknowledged somehow — it's not like lamp posts grow human heads or something). However, their voices are unmistakable even from a distance, especially his. It's so wonderfully obnoxious that it effortlessly drifts across the throngs of people and into her ears.

"Okay, okay, I have a good one," he remarks noisily; she can practically hear the smile in his voice. It's sparkling with so much life and barely masked mischief, and she can't help but wonder what her love is up to now. "Knock, knock."

"Who's there?" Asuka responds with much gusto.

"I eat mop."

"I eat mop who?" she asks, to which he only laughs and the rest follows suit, their voices fading in the crowd once again.

She is left standing there, staring bemusedly at their retreating figures for a few seconds, but then comes to a conclusion that Gray Fullbuster has the most delicious laugh she has ever heard and she's sure it would taste like rainbows and winter berries, and she would very much like to capture it and put it in her little box of treasures—

So she could hold on to it, _forever and ever and eve_r.

(_He is my fairy tale._)

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_o_**4**.

I eat mop.

What was so funny about it anyway?

How about I eat mop who?

I. Eat. Mop. Who.

I. Eat. My. Poo.

It hits her suddenly, and as childish as it was, her nose flares and she bursts out laughing.

Lisanna turns to give her a strange look, eyebrows raised in question, which she answers with a meek "_Sorry!_", and promptly stares out the window of the moving train they are in as she tries to think of something serious to muffle her giggles.

This is _not_ a good mindset to have in a mission, she knows.

Still, she smiles fondly, and finds herself in a good mood for the rest of their trip, her mind drifting back to Magnolia, where the young man with the piercing stare and icy-cool smile is.

(_Is he thinking of me too?_)

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_o_**5**.

She returns three days later, tired and ragged and aching all over. Still, she has a hopeful smile on her face as she enters the guild, eyes swiftly zeroing in on her black-haired target, only to find a blonde _monstrosity_ ruining the view. She scowls.

She's at it again, the love rival.

Talking to him with that skimpy outfit, and that sun-kissed hair, and that mega-watt smile on her face as she flails her scrawny arms around, making gestures that — from what she sees on her Gray-sama's confused (but still refreshingly handsome) face — barely make any sense.

She never really liked it when the two are alone, but she's also never been the type of person who blatantly cuts in on a conversation. Thus, she decides to take a seat on the table nearest to the pair and just keep an eye out on them, resolving that after the love rival's intrusion, she can always swoop in and perhaps be all lovey-dovey with—

He laughs, and her mind goes blank. It's the same delicious laugh that sent her stomach stirring a week ago, and while a good part of her is enjoying the melodious sound, she knows there's something about it that's slightly different as well. Something is amiss, she comes to feel, but she can't pinpoint it at the moment.

The love rival pouts, stomping her foot like a _brat_, and his laughter mellows down into chuckles as he raises a hand to pat her head consolingly. They stay like that for a few seconds, exchanging words too inaudible to hear, until the love rival giggles, Gray kneads the back of his neck, and suddenly, she _sees_.

She sees his eyes, those steely, obsidian eyes — unusually tender and soft as he stares at the beaming girl before him.

She sees his smile, that charming, charming, charmingly _warm_ smile — it's barely there, almost like a ghost, but it's _there, _and it becomes obvious all the more when the love rival meets his gaze.

She stiffens, the beginning of _something_ churning in her gut.

And as his hand slides down to tuck a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she quickly looks away, refusing to see any more.

Mind buzzing, she tries to figure out what just happened, what she just saw, and desperately ignores the way her chest throbs as painfully as the burn in her eyes.

(_Please let this be a bad dream._)

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_O_**6**.

Inside, she is lost amidst the rowdy guild and _him_ and _her_.

Outside, the clouds weep for the desolate rain woman.

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_You can close your eyes to the things you don't want to see,  
>But you can't close your heart to the things you don't want to feel.<br>_

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**owari.**

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**History:  
><strong>04.19.12 ~ First published.  
>04.23.12 ~ Made a few changes to the spacing. Altered the ending poem. Added additional AN below.

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__There! Done! Hope you like? :3__

__I understand that Gray seemed like a Gary-Stu here, but you just have to keep in mind that this chapter is from Juvia's POV, and well, he's pretty much GOD in her eyes, yes? And because it's been told from her perspective, I wrote the words in broken, almost poetic bits to enunciate her role as a girl truly-madly-deeply in love. To preserve the lyrical nature of the story, I also made her thoughts in first person. ^^ __

__Anyway, I almost feel sorry for Juvia here, but I have to admit, it's more fun tormenting her. *cackles* I know it's evil, and I'm not exactly proud of it either, but I'm one of... probably the 10% of FT fans who hates GrayxJuvia to the very core. :P (Anyone here with me? Yes? No?) Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike her. It's just, for me, it's either Gray ends up with Lucy or he dies alone with 20 cats and a parrot. xD  
><em>_

__Okay, moving on~  
><em>_

__To my "**Chaos Theory**" readers, if you guys are here, please wait a bit longer for the third chapter, okay? It's 80% done, but I had to stop writing it for a while because I'm having second thoughts about how the story will end.__

__In the meantime, please immerse yourself in reading these drabbles, and leave a review if you have the time. **My birthday's coming up, so make me happy?** :3  
><em>_

**[EDIT #1:]**__ While I slave away in writing some more goodies for you darlings, I'd like the lot of you to view the following images and squeal in toe-curling delight at their awesomeness and absolute cuteness! Copy the links, remove the spaces, and good luck with the severe facial cramps! xD  
><em>_

http : / milady666. deviantart. com / art / Addition-to-275-chapter-291510794

http : / milady666. deviantart. com / art / Imagination-eh-290996036

__Once you're done spazzing, check out the artist's gallery for more treasures! She's my absolute hero. Heck, she should be YOURS too. *winks*  
><em>_


	5. new flavors

_Woah! I can't believe chapter 4 received so much love from you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, dearies! *blows kisses* _

_Here's a new piece to brighten up your day, **especially if you've just read FT's chapters 282 and 283 (cover)**. Gray, you stupid prick, if you're not gonna get it ooooon! with Lucy, can't you just be gay for Natsu? I hate yaoi to the very core, but Natsu or Loke or heck, even Makarov would be a better choice than your psycho-stalker! Sheesh. **Seriously, am I the only one who doesn't get Gray/Juvia?**_

_Ah. Well. Anyway. Thanks for the prompts, **XxCaitlinxX** (food) and** xYura** (idle afternoon). Please don't mind my rant (okay, maybe just a little) and enjoy this chapter. ^^  
><em>

_**Standard disclaimers apply.  
>Rated T to be safe.<strong>_

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><strong>

**Apple & Cinnamon  
>By: Sechskies<strong>

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**five. **

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"What's that?"

She looks at him, all curious and bemused, then to the dip she's been dunking her mango into. "Shrimp paste." she simply says.

"Shrimp paste?"

"Mm-hmm."

"What's a shrimp paste?"

"Shrimp fermented in salt."

He snorts. "You're kidding."

"Nope."

"Is that even edible?"

She huffs, exasperated. "I'm _eating_ it, Gray. Of course, it is."

"But..." He wrinkles his nose in disgust. "It smells weird."

"It tastes good though. Sweet and salty," she responds with a shrug. When the ice mage doesn't budge, she lifts the plate off the table and holds it out to him. "Care to try?"

Gray blinks, glances at the food being offered to him, then turns his attention back to her expectant face. He doesn't answer, just silently takes a slice of mango and dips it into the shrimp paste. She watches as he sniffs the fruit, grimacing at the smell, before taking a small bite and chewing it thoughtfully.

"So? Do you like it?" she asks after he swallows.

The young man thinks for a moment. "Yeah..." he replies slowly, as if the word is foreign to him.

Lucy raises an eyebrow, not expecting the dull reaction. "Oookay then..." She makes to lower the plate back to the table, but he suddenly snatches it away. She blinks, wide-eyed, as her half-naked teammate begins to shove more mango slices and shrimp paste down his throat.

"This is delicious!" he says through a mouthful. It sounded more like '_mmitchaawishous'_, but from the sparkle in his normally dim eyes, the message is evident. After swallowing more, he grins at her.

Lucy, despite herself, smiles back, shaking her head amusedly.

(_He's just so cute sometimes._)

"Can you dip other things in it?" Gray asks. He doesn't wait for her reply as he begins to rummage through the pantry.

"Um, I guess? Yam beans are usually the alternative. I'm not sure about chips, but there are veggies like water spinach that would probably go—" She stops, looking over at what he brought back to the kitchen table, and her face instantly crumples. "No, Gray. That's—eww, that's _disgusting_."

He shrugs. "Why not? It would be my two favorite foods together in one beautiful explosion of flavors. It'll be a party in my mouth, I tell you."

"No." She stands up from her seat and tries to take the plate from his hands, but the ice mage raises his arms higher, taking advantage of their height difference. She pouts. "Graaay..."

"Come on, just think about it, Lucy."

The petite girl looks up at him in disbelief. "Mochi and shrimp paste?"

"Sounds like a match made in heaven, right?"

"Nu-uh," she replies more firmly this time. "Now, hand that over. You'd be wasting food." When tiptoeing turns out futile, she holds out her palm toward his chest and gives the black-haired youth the most Erza-like glare she can muster. "Give it."

Gray rolls his eyes, but complies nonetheless. "Tch. Fine." he mutters as he disposes the plate to her waiting hand. "Happy now, Ms. Fun Sucker?"

Lucy lets out a triumphant smile. "Oh, most definitely, Captain Underpants." she counters smoothly, earning another snort from her stripper teammate.

When the sound of Natsu moaning "_Nooo! No more caaaake~_" suddenly reaches their ears, the blonde turns around to check on the Dragon Slayer, and finds him still sleeping soundly in her bed, drooling and rubbing his stomach. She giggles, but gasps shortly after when a tanned hand swiftly snatches a piece of mochi from the unguarded plate she is holding, dipping it into the shrimp paste and shoving it into his mouth in one fluid motion. She stares at Gray as he chews it eagerly, half-disgusted and half-amused. "You... You're a human garbage disposal, you know that?"

"Proud of it, babe." He winks.

Lucy sighs dramatically, rubbing her temples. "If you're going to keep eating that, then I'll be working on my novel lest I puke or something." She proceeds to waltz off, but not before sparing another glance to the ice mage and adding saucily, "I hope you get poisoned."

Gray flashes a fond smirk, waving her off. "Yeah, thanks, love you too!" She hears him say laughingly, and it is here that the girl pauses mid-step to gape at him again, eyes wide and cheeks flaming, only to find him already wolfing down his odd concoction. She shakes her head, and wordlessly continues her trek, concluding that he probably wasn't serious about it or that he hasn't realized what he said exactly. She denies that small part within her that seems to be praying, faintly hoping for something _else_.

After settling herself in front of her working desk, her chocolate-brown orbs unconsciously drift back at the half-naked, black-haired boy sitting in his chair, eyes closed in bliss and a contented upward curvature on the corners of his mouth. She silently scolds herself as she realized that the same tiny smile is forming on her own lips.

(_Okay, so maybe he's cute _all _the time._)

Distracted, Lucy can only write a few broken sentences on her paper for five minutes, before being drawn back into the dining table to be with _him_.

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_You are like a candy bar — half sweet, half nuts._

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**owari.**

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**History:  
><strong>05.19.12 ~ First published.

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_**Shrimp paste**, as explained by Lucy, is minute shrimp or krill fermented in salt. It is considered as a delicacy in the Philippines, where we call it "bagoong alamang". Most of us like partnering it with green mangoes (pregnant women, I've heard), but there are some who prefer it with yam beans or "singkamas". It is also used as an ingredient in dishes like "kare-kare", "binagoongan", and etc.  
><em>

_**Mochi** is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice, pounded into paste and molded into shape.  
><em>

_Thank you for the lectures, Wikipedia! xD  
><em>

_As always, reviews, comments, criticisms and prompts/request are welcome, so don't hesitate to click that button below! =)_


	6. through the fire

_Oh, wow. I've been playing too much FF recently that I've forgotten most about this pairing. I'm really sorry, guys. Stupid Mashima keeps breaking my heart every chapter he does recently, so I needed to get away from the FT fandom for a while. The bad news is I got too obsessed with playing FFXIII-2 that I developed another ill-fated love for the **Noel x Serah** pairing (anyone with me? *echoes*) — much more than GrayLu at this point, to be honest (blame Mashima!). The good news though is... I have no plans to add anything to that fandom, because I love you guys too much to just up and leave my GrayLu fanfics. I hope that's good news to anyone who cares. xD  
><em>

_Okay, moving on~  
><em>

_This chapter is notably different from the others, but I hope you still like it. If you're curious, more of this will be explained at my A/N below (yes, I'm not done — deal with it). Props to** WinterMelon Pearl** (failure, insanity) and my dear friend **Hitomi** (keeping control) for the prompts.  
><em>

_Oh, and a sweet li'l shout out to my new buddies, **Hachibukai** and **ILoveCelestialIce**! I'm really sorry for suddenly going AWOL on you. Work sucks and FF rules, but I love you guys, so I'll be sure to PM you both at FB once I've wrapped up everything at work. *blows kisses*  
><em>

_**Standard disclaimers apply.  
>Rated T for angst, self-loathing, and slight mentions of goreviolence and death.  
>You've been warned.<br>**_

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><strong><br>Apple & Cinnamon  
>By: Sechskies<strong>

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**six. **

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She sits in the dark, back propped against the wall, eyes glazed over and distant, as if she is a hollow shell, a breathing human without a soul. The sound of the clock ticking away seems to echo across the empty area, and when it rings, signaling a new hour, only then does she make the slightest of movements — a soft fluttering of the eyelids, dried lips parting for air, and fingers twitching faintly as she slowly lifts her hands to her face.

With a somber, almost expressionless mask, she stares at them silently for a few seconds, studying the lines, the small scars, the fresh scrapes, and... sees something else_._

Something faint, something dry, something _red._

A pang of pain and guilt instantly flashes across her features, but she remains frozen, lacking the energy to do anything else. When her eyes begin to burn at the dreadful sight, she quickly shuts them tight, purses her lips in an effort not to give in.

One, two, three minutes pass, she doesn't budge.

Eight, nine, ten minutes after, she begins to feel numb.

Releasing a shaky breath, she moves to a fetal pose, head settled on folded arms as she hugs her knees close to her chest. She tries to calm herself in this new position, closing her eyes once again to welcome the soothing darkness, but finds that there is something already playing under her lids, unwanted images being conjured by her restless mind.

_The pile of immobile bodies.  
>The bloodied sword held by a hooded figure.<br>They won't go away..._

A small whimper escapes her mouth, and she bites her lower lip to keep herself from making any more sounds. Returning to her previous stance, she pulls at her pigtails to her nose, golden tresses dull and lackluster. She takes in a few large whiffs in hopes that the smell of her bubblegum shampoo will overwhelm her sense of dread, take her back to her quaint apartment where it's safe and peaceful and happy, always happy—

_The horrid stench of death.  
>The rotten smell of fear.<br>They won't go away..._

The dam is about to break, but she suppresses it still. As she buries herself further into the shallow corner she is in, she moves her hands to cover her ears, pushing the tragus to her ear canals in a wretched attempt to block out any outside noise. It works at first, and she almost relaxes, but the comfort, she comes to find, is short-lived.

_The piercing screams from afar.  
>The frantic cries of help.<br>They won't go away..._

By now, she is trembling, the Goosebumps on her skin more apparent, and she sends a silent prayer to the heavens, begging her mom, her dad, her spirits not to make her _let go_. She can't have that — not when _it _all happened because of her naïveté, her weakness, her _failure._ She can't cry; she won't do it. Right now, more than ever, she won't grant herself the luxury.

She doesn't deserve it.

As she pulls out her fingers, she is quick to identify a new voice in her ears that she has involuntarily blocked out along with the rest of the outside world. The sound is faint, yet deep, and it seems to instill a familiar bit of warmth within her, but she cannot recognize it at the moment. Trying to distinguish where the dull frequency is coming from, she gazes up to find a hazy, spiky-headed silhouette approaching. Her eyebrows crease, and she blinks; the blob gradually takes shape into a vision of Gray now kneeling before her, looking aghast and worried. His shirt is gone, his bare chest displaying a few gashes and dirt marks, his persona battle-weary. She can tell with his moving lips that he is trying to say something, but only the faint ring of his voice manages to enter her ears.

"It's okay, Lucy, I'm here. You're safe now." he continues to repeat as he moves his hand to gently rest on her shoulder and another to cup her cheek. A frown mars his face the very instant his skin touches hers, not liking how it's so cold, even for him. Where was Natsu?, his unsteady eyes seem to convey. Why wasn't Loke with her? _Why didn't he find her sooner?_

The pained expression she sees on him is almost unbearable, triggering _something _in her senses. Her body goes rigid, and she desperately clings to that last sliver of strength within her, repeating her resolve in her mind like an endless song because she's suddenly feeling nauseous, her eyes are starting to burn again, all her pent-up feelings are threatening to engulf her, swallow her whole, drown her over and over and the dam, _the dam is breaking—_

"I'm sorry." she blurts out, breathless and heartbreakingly lost. Gray says nothing, only strains to give her what he hopes is a comforting smile, and it is all that she needs to finally, _finally_ shatter.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Tears now trickling down uncontrollably, cold hands shakily reach out to him, and he takes her in his arms, his bigger frame encompassing her quivering body. She latches onto him frantically, nails digging hard to his bare skin, never letting go, and he hugs her closer, tighter, and just as desperate.

"I'm sorry, please don't leave me. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so—"

"Shhh... It's okay, Lucy. It's not your fault," he tells her, struggling to ignore how his heart breaks at every apology she chokes out, a painful reminder of their failure, _his _failure. "I'm here. Everything's gonna be okay, I promise you that."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"

"We're gonna get over this, Lucy. Everything's gonna be okay..."

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_In a way, we're not that different,  
>Like two wings of a butterfly.<br>So when you break, I fall too,  
>But together, we can reach the sky.<em>

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**owari.**

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**History:  
><strong>06.03.12 ~ First published.  
>06.04.12 ~ Proofread the chapter. Me lazy. xD<p>

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_First off, don't kill me. I wrote this in the midst of my GrayLu depression, so my mind couldn't really conjure any happy thoughts about them back then.  
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_Second, I've envisioned this as a darker take on a 'mission gone wrong' and how exactly will it affect Lucy. I wanted to write her experiencing something painfully real the first time (death), subsequently leading her to seriously reflect on her weakness and punishing herself for it. The manga is regrettably too light to make her dwell on that (and I'm still pissed off that she called forth Urano Metria like how Naruto does his Rasengan _—_ why was her effin' training effin' off-screen?), so I felt the need to make one for myself. I mean, really, Lucy's got one of the best magic in FT-verse, but she's the most useless character there is. It's like Mashima put her there for purely random sexy shots and mindless fanservice. Heck, even the Exceeds are more useful than her. *sigh*  
><em>

_So, where was I? Uh, yeah. Basically, this chapter is an aftermath of a traumatic botched mission. Lucy blames herself for it and tries to take it all in like a good tough cookie, but her resolve crumbles (no pun intended! xD) when Gray shows up, and in her frenzied state, apologizes to him for failing her part of the mission _—_ which was NOT to let their clients die (sort of). Yeah, why didn't I just put that up instead of this weird, fragmented chapter? T_T  
><em>

_Review if you like, and if you're still here reading this, thank you for putting up with my rambles. :)  
><em>


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